Con Brio seeks to provide an extremely positive educational experience. Only those who can deliver this experience are selected as adjudicators and workshop leaders.   Please revisit this page as we continue to update for 2026.

DR. MICHAEL BURCH-PESSES – BAND

is Director of Bands at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Jazz Choir, and teaches courses in conducting, music education, and MIDI technology. He also works with the Pacific University School of Education, supervising music education interns during their student teaching as they earn the master of arts in teaching degree. He holds master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees in conducting from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Since coming to Pacific University in 1995 he received the Junior Faculty Award (1998) and was named a Wye Fellow of the Aspen Institute (1999). In 2006, he received the S.S. Johnson Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching.  He enjoyed a distinguished career as a bandmaster in the U.S. Navy before arriving at Pacific University, enlisting as a hornist and working his way up through the ranks to become the Navy’s senior bandmaster and head of the Navy Music Program. During his Navy career, he served as leader of the Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Md. Under his direction, the Naval Academy Band received the George Howard Citation of Musical Excellence from the John Philip Sousa Foundation, the highest civilian award for a military band. He also served as assistant leader of the Navy Band in Washington, D.C, and director of the Commodores, the Navy’s official jazz ensemble. An internationally active adjudicator, lecturer and clinician, he has conducted festival and honor bands throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.  In 2000 he conducted the British Columbia All-Province Honour Band, and in 2002 he adjudicated the National Concert Band Festival of New Zealand.  Dr. Burch-Pesses also is the conductor and musical director of the Oregon Symphonic Band, Oregon’s premier adult band. The band celebrated its 20th anniversary with a performance at the Midwest Clinic in 2006. The following year the band was awarded the Sudler Silver Scroll by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The Oregon Symphonic Band is composed primarily of musicians from the Portland/Vancouver area. Men and women of many professions are represented in the ensemble, which performs three concert series annually and has appeared in concert at numerous state, regional, and international music conferences, including the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago. His performance at the Midwest Clinic resulted in his being awarded the Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association. His professional affiliations include the Oregon Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, and Oregon Band Directors Association. He also is the Oregon chair of the College Band Directors National Association and a charter member of the Oregon chapter of Phi Beta Mu.

DR. STEVEN CAPALDO – BAND

distinguished himself as one of the most respected music educators, wind conductors and conductor educators in Australia, earning academic and musical recognition internationally. He is currently Associate Professor of Music Education & Conducting and Wind Symphony Conductor at the University of Victoria, Canada. He previously held positions in Music Education at the University of Wollongong (Australia) and the University of Victoria, and was Conductor of the Sydney University Wind Orchestra and the UNSW Wind Symphony. An active writer, Dr. Capaldo composes, arranges and transcribes music for wind orchestras, symphony orchestras, festivals and concerts and his works have been performed by groups in Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States, and recorded on Klavier records (US). An Assistant Producer for eight Klavier Records CD, Dr. Capaldo became a full voting member for the US Grammy Awards in 2010 and was Chair of the Australian Jury Panel for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. He is highly-active and in-demand as a conductor, clinician and adjudicator having worked at local, state/provincial, national and international levels including MusicFest and as Chief Conductor of the British Columbia Honour Wind Ensemble.

DR. MEIJUN CHEN – BAND & MASSED BAND

is  Director of Concert Winds at the University of British Columbia  An active conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, Meijun has worked with collegiate and school bands across Canada, held conducting roles with Edmonton Opera and the Edmonton Youth Orchestra, and guest-conducted the United States “Pershing’s Own” Army Band in 2023. She has received numerous awards and scholarships to further her conducting studies in Austria and the U.S., including winning the Absolute First Prize in Conducting at the 2023 UK International Music Competition. Selected as a Conducting Fellow at prestigious masterclasses including Domaine Forget and the University of Cincinnati CCM International Wind Festival, in conjunction with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, her conducting mentors include Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Travis Cross, Jerry Junkin, Emily Threinen, Bruce Pulver, Kevin Holzman, and Jason Fettig.  Dr. Chen holds  a Doctor of Music degree in Wind Band Conducting under the supervision of Dr. Angela Schroeder, dual Master of Music degrees in Wind Band Conducting and Clarinet Performance from the University of Alberta and is the guest clarinetist with the Royal Canadian Artillery Band.

 CASEY THOMAS-BURNS – JAZZ BAND

a trombonist, vocalist and bandleader based in Vancouver, Canada. She is the founder and director of the 10-woman jazz band ‘The Leading Ladies‘ and has been described by Juno-nominated bassist Jodi Proznick as “the future of arts leadership”.  Casey holds her degree in Jazz Studies from Capilano University. While at Capilano University, Casey had the opportunity to study trombone with Dennis Esson, voice with Jennifer Scott, and was the lead trombonist in the “A” Band under the direction of Brad Turner. In 2021, Casey was awarded a place in the 2021  Reading Session for Emerging Composers and the Passing Notes Mentorship program presented by the Hard Rubber Orchestra. More recently, Casey travelled to New York with a scholarship to the New York Hot Jazz Camp to study with the top musicians in the NYC traditional jazz scene, including Bria Skonberg and Ron Wilkins. Around town, Casey can be found performing with The Vancouver Jazz Orchestra, Jaelem Bhate Jazz Orchestra, Mike WT Allen’s Space Elevator, and the the Chris Berner Jazz Orchestra, among others, or leading her eponymous jazz quartet at a swing dance. Personal career highlights included performing with the company of Hadestown at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and performing in the Vancouver International Jazz Festival with Dean Thiessen. In addition to being a musician, Casey is active as an arts manager and event coordinator for concert series and music festivals across the Lower Mainland. 

DR. HYEJUNG JUN – CHOIR

is Assistant Professor of Choral Conducting at the University of British Columbia following completion of her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She earned her Master of Music degrees from Yonsei University in Korea and Emory University in the United States. During her time in Cincinnati, Dr. Jun conducted and assisted the CCM Chamber Choir, the CCM Chorale and taught undergraduate conducting classes. She also was awarded the May Festival Conducting Fellowship for the 2018-2019 season under the mentorship of Robert Porco, Director of Choruses of the May Festival Chorus. Additionally, she has served as Assistant Conductor of the Women’s Chorus at Xavier University. Dr. Jun has extensive experience as a singer, pianist, and conductor. Her performances have been recognized for their sensitivity and excellence. Prior to coming to the United States, she was the winner of the National Choral Conducting Competition in Seoul, South Korea, and after moving to the United States, she was a finalist in the Graduate Conducting Competition of the American Choral Directors Association. At UBC, Dr. Jun is taking over the podium to conduct the Choral Union, UBC’s largest choral ensemble. Comprised of 120 singers, Choral Union performs significant works from the greatest composers of choral music spanning the past five centuries.

DR. LAURA HARRISON – CHOIR

B.Mus, B.Ed, M.Mus, DMA is a jazz educator, composer, arranger and vocalist who has been pursuing a dual career in jazz and classical music since 1996. She has made quite a reputation for herself as a classical mezzo-soprano performing in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas of Southern California for the past 20 years. In August of 2010, she debuted her first jazz CD that has been played in forty-three states and thirteen countries, and climbed to #18 on the CMJ Jazz National Chart. After receiving degrees at Capilano University and the University of British Columbia, Harrison was a high school teacher in Maple Ridge, BC until she was recruited to pursue her graduate studies in Los Angeles, California. She received her Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees in Jazz Studies at the University of Southern California under the mentorship of Dr. Thom Mason and Carmen Bradford. As a former student of Capilano University, Harrison had the distinct pleasure to sing in the flagship ensemble, NiteCap, and is thrilled to be back teaching at her alma mater. One of Harrison’s passions is building musicianship skills. She observed students struggling to understand music theory. As a result, she developed a curriculum that the students found to be accessible and motivating; many become theory enthusiasts. Her students loved her teaching style and encouraged her to write a theory book that incorporated Harrison’s sense of humour since this is what made them absorb the information quickly and thoroughly. In 2015, Harrison published Enjoying Music Theory (ISBN-13: 978-0986415401), which has been used as a textbook at Mount San Antonio College and Irvine High School in Southern California. It delivers theoretical concepts in a concise, clear manner and is intended for the absolute beginner.

DOUGLAS MACAULAY – INSTRUMENT INTENSIVES

works as a Conductor, Composer, Arranger, Educator, and Producer.  He is in demand as an adjudicator and clinician at music festivals throughout Canada and the U.S., from the North Vancouver schools’ band and strings festival to the Southern Alberta Band Festival and the Pearl City Band Festival in Hawaii. As a guest conductor, he has directed Vancouver’s Pacific Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the UBC Summer Music Institute Senior Band, the Southeastern United States (SEUS) High School and Middle School Honor Bands, the Troy University (Alabama) Symphonic Band and many schools and community bands throughout BC and Alberta. He has also been a guest lecturer in Music Education at UBC and several music educational conferences.  He has composed for a wide variety of genre including band, orchestra, film, and dozens of theatrical scores (a recipient of the Jesse Richardson award for outstanding Theatrical Composition). He is an independent record producer, music consultant for the film and television industry and has worked as Music Director for CBC Television and Radio, the Pacific Music Industry Association, The Cambie Street Brass Band, the Vancouver Community College Wind Ensemble, Theatre Under the Stars, and the Vancouver Firefighters Band. He is the co-founder, Artistic and Managing Director of Con Brio Festivals where, since 2000, he has produced the respected Whistler and Sun Peaks Music Festivals. As a volunteer, Doug has taught instrumental music and band to visually impaired youth in a program he founded for the CNIB and volunteers as a board member and consultant with a variety of music and arts organizations. Doug continues to support local artists serving as Executive Producer for Malcolm Aiken’s debut CD Paper Star, as Associate Producer for Robert Buckley’s album of Wind Band works and is a co-founder and producer for the Marcus Mosely Chorale. In his community, Doug was instrumental in the creation of the unique and visionary “Community Music Hall” – a dedicated large ensemble rehearsal space within the new West Vancouver Community Centre. The facility provides space to many community music ensembles and is home to the West Vancouver Youth Band, for which Doug has been Principal Conductor and Program Director since 1993. During that time, the WVYB has grown from 39 musicians in three ensembles to nearly 200 in five ensembles.

TBA – PERCUSSION INTENSIVES